Dog breath has always been the go-to one liner when someone needs a little help in the odor department — “your breath smells like dog breath” — but when it becomes an issue in our best bud’s health, we decided to do something about it.
Last year, my dog Bentley, my soul dog, passed away. He was 16 and lived an amazing life, but in his last year he wasn’t in the best shape — plagued with everything from arthritis to losing control of his bowels to going deaf. And he had awful teeth – and atrocious breath. While I couldn’t have prevented most of his ailments, one thing I could have done was take better care of his teeth – making his last years a little less painful. (As he got older, it was too much of a risk to put him under and get his teeth cleaned). Sure, I could have been more diligent with teeth brushing, but he either would not let me, or got sick from the toothpaste. The experience was awful for both of us. So, I stopped trying and honestly, didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until he got older did I realize how important it is to keep a dog’s mouth healthy.
Bentley.
Related: Here’s How to Keep Your Dog’s Teeth Healthy Between Dental Cleanings
Dental disease is the no. 1 health issue in dogs, with nearly 100 percent of them having it by age 4. That is crazy. That means dogs could be dealing with mouth pain for 8, 9, 12 years.
At a young age, dogs will start to get tartar, inflamed gums and “dog breath.” Not only can it impact your dog’s mouth, but that bad bacteria can start to make its way into the bloodstream (through the tooth’s root in the mouth) and cause havoc on the liver, kidneys and heart. And in some cases, it can be deadly.
Periodontal disease can be extremely painful and because dogs hide weakness, we may never know. They, like I am sure Bentley did, can suffer for years in silence. While teeth brushing is a great preventive measure, for me, along millions of other dog owners, it is not always a possibility.
So, we at This Dog’s Life wanted to take the hassle, stress and difficulty out of maintaining your dog’s oral hygiene. We wanted to create something that will make a difference in your dog’s life, helping her live a healthy, happy and fulfilled life.
We worked with a veterinarian to formulate our Bye, Bye Dog Breath Dental Line, developing products that are powerful, yet easy to use. We looked for natural ingredients that would fight plaque, controls tartar and stop dog breath. We wanted a miracle worker – and we weren’t going to settle for anything less.
Photo Credit: Maxwell Mason
Related: Are You Doing Everything You Can to Stop Your Dog’s Mouth From Hurting?
And we did just that! Our products in our Bye, Bye Dog Breath Dental Line go above and beyond, providing an easy way to maintain clean teeth, freshen breath and fight plaque between veterinary dental cleanings.
We used natural minerals, a proprietary blend of probiotics and zinc to prevent plaque from forming, sticking to teeth and penetrating our dogs’ chompers. Cranberries, yucca herb and CoQ10 strengthen the gums, as weakened and dead tissue are the perfect places for bad bacteria to grow. Parsley, mint, cinnamon and other yummy ingredients naturally freshen breath and balance out bacteria in your dog’s mouth.
I may have not been able to stop the pain Bentley felt, but I am going to do my best to ensure other dogs don’t have to suffer.
For all the Bentleys of the world, we believe every dog deserves a healthy smile.
(Dog model is Huck, as my dogs, Lola and Milo, are a bit too crazy for a photo shoot.)
